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King's College Alicante: Traditional British education to prepare children for the future
Simon Wicks, Principal of King's College Alicante, comments on the school's recent successes
King's College Alicante has long been a school committed to maintaining the academic excellence of its students and educational programmes, delivering the highest standards of student behaviour, exceptional interpersonal relationships within the school community, and strong mutual trust between staff, teachers and students. This is enhanced by close monitoring of the personal, social and emotional development of students at all stages of their education.
For Simon Wicks, Principal of King's College Alicante, one of the institution's greatest successes this year has been receiving the highest rating in all categories in the latest PENTA International inspection report. This organisation, accredited by the British government, certifies the standards of excellence of schools in a holistic way, covering everything from academic achievement and the quality of teaching, to the quality of facilities and students’ pastoral care. King's College is the only British school in the Alicante area, and one of the few in Spain, to have achieved this recognition from the British government.
In order to be more specific about some of the outstanding aspects of the institution, Wicks answers some questions which are of interest to all parents.
1. What is the educational foundation that makes up King's College Alicante?
Visitors to the school all concur that KCA is a special place, where positive relationships underpin everything that we do. At the heart of everything is our desire to offer the best British education available, in a safe and nurturing environment, that enables our children to fulfil their potential, both academically and outside of the classroom. We are proud to say that since 2000 we have been leading the way in education in Alicante, with native English teachers offering outstanding learning opportunities and combining the very best of British pedagogy with a truly international approach to schooling.
Our successes are wide and varied also. Not only are we the top performing school in the Inspired Group in external examinations, but we also provide opportunities for our children to shine on a local and national scale. We have children who have represented their country in all manner of sports and activities and are very proud of regularly taking the top places at the Maths and Science Olympiads held by Alicante University for all schools in the province. This year we came 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th in this prestigious competition, underscoring PENTA’s judgement of us as an outstanding British school, but also highlighting that our education gives our pupils a real edge over all schools in the local area, and not just the English-language ones.
2. How do you prepare your students for university if they want to study in another country?
The British curriculum, from Early Years up to Year 13, is designed to prepare our young people for the demands of university and the world of work. We focus not just on assimilation of knowledge but on the application of that knowledge,and the development of outstanding personal and social skills that foster problem solving skills through creativity, independence and collaboration. Our Sixth Form offering, whether you choose the IBDP or iBTEC, continues that preparation to ensure our students are ready for the demands of undergraduate study. The qualifications we offer ensure students allow them to study at universities across the world, and each year we are delighted that the vast majority of our pupils are able to access their first choice university in the UK, the US and Spain.
Both the IBDP and iBTEC are recognised by the Spanish authorities, resulting in direct access to hundreds of higher educational institutions in Spain and across the globe. When coupled with our experienced and dedicated university counselling team, successful applications are maximised as we offer students and their families personal and tailored support in submitting applications to the universities of their choice. In addition, we have access to two indispensable platforms to ensure university success: Arete Educational Consulting and The Classroom Door, which have a large pool of professional and certified tutors, specialised in supporting entrance to high-performance universities.
In recent years, a large number of our students have gained admission to some of the best universities in the world, including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, LSE, Warwick, King’s College, Complutense, ESADE, Harvard, and Berkeley in California, amongst many other prestigious institutions across the globe.
